Celiac and Autoimmune Diseases, something to consider Part 1

[tcmgpt13]

My personal opinion is that autoimmune diseases may play a part in Morgellons symptoms. I think it is also possible that many who have Morgellons and/or Lyme symptoms also have undiagnosed celiac disease which can open the door for all sorts of chronic illnesses, including thyroid disease. Research is showing a connection between autoimmune thyroid disease, diabetes and celiac disease. Here is a general outline discussing celiac disease which is easy to read. It briefly outlines the diet which mostly involves the avoidance of gluten grains such as wheat, rye, oats, barley and all the foods in which they are found:

The Celiac/Autoimmune Thyroid Connection: A Major Thyroid Disease Breakthrough

Next is an easy to read Newsweek article about gluten sensitivity. It even mentions the new GF beers (most beer contains malt and malt has gluten unless derived from a GF grain such as sorghum). Most hard liquors also contain gluten:

Are Gluten-Free Diets Healthier, or Is It Hype? | Newsweek Health | Newsweek.com

Here is a discussion about how gluten may effect the body, causing problems with various body organs. Untreated gluten sensitivity is behind malabsorption of vitamins and minerals which makes one more likely to develop osteoporosis (never hear that one from the doctors or drug companies, do we?) and various cancers.

Celiac Disease

This next site discusses thyroid disease and why thyroid disease is often connected to celiac disease. In my own case I have never shown any positive test results for thyroid antibodies, and yet adopting a gluten free diet allivated severe hip pain within three weeks about five years ago. So I am sure that gluten sensitivity is a problem for me. To this day I follow this diet. No hip pain is well worth giving up wheat bread because for a few months I thought I was going to need a cane to get up from a chair:

Thyroid Disease: Why Do Celiacs Have It?

Here is a short research abstract about the connection between celiac and thyroid disease which was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism,

Risk of Thyroid Disease in Individuals with Celiac Disease -- Elfstrm et al. 93 (10): 3915 -- Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism

“Risk of Thyroid Disease in Individuals with Celiac Disease

Background: It has been suggested that celiac disease is associated with thyroid disease. Earlier studies, however, have been predominately cross-sectional and have often lacked controls. There is hence a need for further research. In this study, we estimated the risk of thyroid disease in individuals with celiac disease from a general population cohort.

(omitting scientific research date here, but if interested follow the above link)

Conclusion: Celiac disease is associated with thyroid disease, and these associations were seen regardless of temporal sequence. This indicates shared etiology and that these individuals are more susceptible to autoimmune disease.”

A lot of interesting links on this next site and some articles which discuss nervous system involvement.

The Gluten File - The Gluten File www.theglutenfile.com A collection of articles, abstracts, and websites related to

“The most important message I have is that one can have Gluten Sensitivity causing serious symptoms, including neurological disease among many others, without having Celiac Disease. Many patients who fall short of a Celiac Disease diagnosis may still benefit greatly from a gluten free diet. Unfortunately, current mainstream practice falls short of recommending a gluten free diet to those who may have early stage Celiac Disease or a Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity because the diagnostics are unclear. Some patients continue to suffer a lifetime with their symptoms that might be alleviated with a relatively simple dietary change, if only they knew.

I believe patients should be aware that this possibility exists between thyroid disease and celiac disease and decide for themselves whether to take a gamble toward better health by altering their diet, while the research continues on. Much of the supportive medical literature is referenced here in The Gluten File. Visit any Celiac Disease or Gluten Sensitivity online forum listed on the Favorite Links page for personal testimonials.”

How gluten sensitivity may effect the nervous system:

Mark B. Skeen From: Neurologic Manifestations of Gastrointestinal Disease, Neurologic Clinics, Volume 20, Number 1, February 2002

"Neurologic disease associated with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease includes a wide range of manifestations:

Central nervous system (CNS) manifestations include dementia, cerebellar ataxia, myelopathy, encephalopathy, brain stem encephalitis, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy,chronic, progressive leukoencephalopathy, progressive myoclonic ataxia, seizures, isolated CNS vasculitis, and a syndrome of celiac disease with encephalopathy and bilateral occipital calcifications.”

“Several reports document the existence of peripheral neuropathy in association with celiac disease.”

Another article discussing gluten sensitivity, brief quote from the article:

Gluten sensitivity: a many headed hydra -- Hadjivassiliou et al. 318 (7200): 1710 -- BMJ

Heightened responsiveness to gluten is not confined to the gut

“Marsh's "modern" definition of gluten sensitivity is to be recommended: "a state of heightened immunological responsiveness to ingested gluten in genetically susceptible individuals."10 Such responsiveness may find expression in organs other than the gut. Gastroenterologists, dermatologists, neurologists, and other physicians need to be aware of these developments if the diagnosis and treatment of the diverse manifestations of gluten sensitivity are to be advanced. The aetiology of such diverse manifestations presents the next challenge. “

[tcmgpt13]

A new at home blood test for celiac disease is available online:

CELIAC TEST - Biocard Celiac Home Test for Celiac Disease

“Left undiagnosed and untreated there is an increased risk of infertility, osteoporosis and intestinal cancer. If you are diagnosed with Celiac disease, early screening of your children, siblings, and parents is important, as their risk factor for Celiac disease is 1 in 10! Celiac disease can strike at any age and approximately 97% of those affected are still undiagnosed.”

In my opininion it is ridiculous that women are given potentially harmful drugs for osteoporosis, but are left untested for celiac disease.

Here is part of the website’s discussion about the reliability of the test listed above:

Biocard Celiac Home Test

“Thus, this new test will identify the vast majority of untreated celiac patients. And the test is easily defended against those who might look askance at home testing. Korponay-Szabo et. al. report in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics that this test is 97% specific and 97% sensitive (1). Test sensitivity is determined by how many celiacs are identified by a positive test. Only 3% of those with celiac disease failed to be identified by this test. However, the one celiac patient that was missed in this research project suffered from IgA deficiency, which is much more common in the context of celiac disease than in the general population. Further, because the test identified this deficiency, it is very likely that the patient would be further investigated for celiac disease. Thus, the test could be argued to have been 100% sensitive in their study. The same group reported that the test is 97% specific. That means that the test will show positive in cases of celiac disease as well as in 3% of patients who do not have celiac disease. Several other groups of researchers report that many of those who test positive for tTG often go on to develop celiac disease within a few months or years.

Crovella et. al., report in Digestive and Liver Disease, similar results but with one important exception.When this test was used among a group of impoverished individuals who were infected with filariasis its specificity weakened substantially. People who were infected with this parasite showed positive tTG test results despite the absence of celiac disease. Thus, despite 100% specificity among Brazilian urbanites, the test was only 76% specific when used to screen impoverished suburban Brazilians. Thus, although this test is less than ideal in some third world settings among those with filariasis infections, it is clearly a powerful tool for identifying celiac disease in the industrialized world.”

So this test may not work for those of us with Morgellons who also have parasitic involvement as it may give a false positive for celiac. Still if one has symptoms suggesting gluten sensitivity it is possible to try this diet without any testing, although if testing is conducted after stopping gluten test results will be negative for celiac. If a definite test diagnosis is desired gluten should not be stopped until after being tested for gluten sensitivity. Even then then the test may be "normal." I believe that Ginger Savely does run some kind of test for this problem as one former poster mentioned her son was positive for celiac disease after being tested by her. I know that the blood test which has been used in the US by doctors is not always very reliable. A small intestine biopsy is often done following a positive blood test and even that is not always positive, plus it can be a painful procedure.

There is also a skin form of celiac called Dermatitis Herpetiformus (DH). This generally can also effect the scalp. This is not related to herpes lesions, but sometimes may resemble them, hence the name. Links to the symptoms of DH and a lengthy article on DH are found on this page.

Dermatitis Herpetiformis Defined

More info on DH:

The widening spectrum of celiac disease -- Murray 69 (3): 354 -- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

There’s a list of Candida vs Gluten symptoms on this next site. Many symptoms of celiac disease mirror those found in morgellons infections and thyroid disease:

Candida vs. Gluten Intolerance Symptoms

A short list of just celiac symptoms:

About.com: http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/glutenceliac.htm

What are the symptoms of subclinical gluten intolerance and celiac disease:

* Recurring abdominal pain and bloating
* Gas, intestinal difficulties
* Aggravated allergies
* Difficulty losing weight
* Muscle aching
* Joint stiffness and pain, especially in hands, with swelling
* Fatigue
* Burning sensations in the arms and legs
* Numbness and tingling in hands, arms and legs
* Brain fog, memory problems, disorganized thinking
* Sores inside the mouth
* Painful skin rash on elbows, knees, and buttocks
* Hives

I would add in the most important symptom for celiac which is diarrhea although constipation, rarer symptom, is also possible as is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Brain fog on this list and is also a major symptom of thyroid disease which is untreated or undertreated. There is a helpful gluten free food chart on the site.

The people most likely to have gluten sensitivity problems:

The widening spectrum of celiac disease -- Murray 69 (3): 354 -- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

“Celiac disease is common in many different ethnic groups, including Scandinavians, Italians, Irish, British, Spaniards, Jews, and Palestinians. It has been estimated that 1 in 300 people in many European countries will eventually develop celiac disease (64). The disease has also been described in populations from South America, Eastern Europe, the Near East, Pakistan, Cuba, and North Africa (65–67).

Population-based serologic surveys revealed a prevalence of celiac disease of 1 in 250–500 in most countries studied, including the United States (68–70). Surveys of blood donors have shown that equal numbers of males and females have celiac disease, and few have nutritional abnormalities (70).

Several other diseases are associated with a high incidence of celiac disease. Celiac disease is particularly common in patients with type 1 diabetes, thyroid disease, Addison disease, osteopenic bone, Down syndrome, and rheumatologic complaints (9, 10, 71). It has been suggested that untreated celiac disease may predispose children to diabetes (72). These associations seem to be similar wherever the disease is studied. It is likely that the true prevalence of celiac disease in the United States is much greater than the actual rate of diagnosis.”

[Sadsack]

C -
I tested negative for Celiac Disease. That was the first thig my docotr considered.
SS

[tcmgpt13]

No,SS, I am sure that not everyone with Morgellons has celiac disease, but many autoimmune symptoms are related and research is starting to show they are often tied together. Many autoimmune symptoms mirror Morgellons symptoms so I think it is good to keep these types of diseases in mind as a possible problem for some folks with this disease. Autoimmune disease is also being linked to some parasitic diseases such as leishmaniasis. Treating the underlying disease of whatever kind often helps to control parasite infections even if the treatment does not entirely control them. The underlying diseases for each of us can vary I am sure.

I would like to point out that the normal tests for celiac disease are very unreliable as mentioned previously. This often prevents correct diagnosis, as doctors rely so heavily on tests and often ignore patient symptoms. Quite often tests are wrong. In my own case if I had not found a doctor to treat my hypothyroid symptoms despite "normal" tests for thyroid disease I would doubtless be very cold and sick today. The doctor was willing to test me on the medication and when I began to feel better he continued the medication. Fortunately I was able to find a doctor to look beyond normal test numbers and treat my symptoms.

As far as gluten sensitivity I just ran my own test and stopped eating gluten to see if my hip pain stopped. I have since "retested" myself by eating some gluten on two separate occasions. Both times the pain returned within a day of eating gluten. I don't think I have full blown celiac disease, but I do seem to have some sensitivity to gluten. I am so glad that Mary Shomon posted her article as this was where I first read about the connection between thyroid disease and gluten sensitivity. It has saved me a lot of pain, literally.

tcm

[Sadsack]

That is interesting what you said about leishmaniasis and autoimmune issues. That is the condition that so many of military returning from the mid East are suffering from as a result of being bitten by sand flies. Do you have a link for that? I can maybe see how these sand fly bites might trigger an immune response, for sure, but generally speaking auto-immune means that no outside antigen is causing the reaction.
I don't know that I completely buy that explanation - I'm more inclined to believe there is something foreign present that we simply haven't been able to detect; it just doesn't make sense that the body would not recognize itself. I also wonder if there is some kind of chimeric issue involved, i.e., that some cells from either the mother or even a child may be in the body of the person with auto-immune disease. Dna tests would have to be done to figure that one out....just thinking out loud here...I have two of these auto-immune diagnoses.
SS

[tcmgpt13]

Here are just some brief discussions of autoimmune diseases and their connection to parasitic infections.

leishmaniasis: From infection to autoimmunity

leishmaniasis: From infection to autoimmunity
Auteur(s) / Author(s)
CORDEIRO-DA-SILVA*Anahela (1) ; LEMESRE*Jean-Loup (2) ; SERENO*Denis (2) ; OUAISSI*Ali (2) ;
Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)
(1) Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Porto, FRANCE
(2) IRD UR 008 <<<> Pathogénie des Trypanosomatides <>>>, Centre IRD de Montpellier, 911, Avenue Agropolis, BP 5045, 34032 Montpellier, FRANCE
Résumé / Abstract
Parasitic infections can serve as a trigger factor of autoimmune reactivity by several mechanisms such as the molecular mimicry between parasite antigens and host components leading to the crossreactivity or the induction of polyclonal activation. Leishmaniasis is characterized by a variety of immunopathological disturbances. Both polyclonal B cell activation and antigen specific impairment of T cell responses have been shown to occur in certain circumstances. A marked humoral response during active disease with elevated non-specific immunoglobulin levels; mostly of IgG and IgM classes could be observed. The parasite molecules, which could be involved in the development of these immunological alterations, have not being fully characterized. The importance of polyclonal B cell activation for the genesis and occurrence of autoantibodies in viscera Leishmaniasis is discussed.
Revue / Journal Title
Recent research developments in immunology*
Source / Source
Recent research developments in immunology. Vol. 4 (2002) ; Part II
,*pp.*43-52*[Document : 10 p.]*(30 ref.)*ISBN*81-7736-142-2 ;

Susceptibility to Leishmania major Infection in Interleukin-4-Deficient Mice -- Noben-Trauth et al. 271 (5251): 987 -- Science

Susceptibility to Leishmania major Infection in Interleukin-4-Deficient Mice

Nancy Noben-Trauth (1), Pascale Kropf (1), Ingrid Müller (2)

Interleukin-4 (IL-4), a pleiotropic cytokine, is a major regulator of the immune system and is considered crucial for the development of T helper cell type 2 (TH2) responses. The susceptibility of BALB/c mice to infection with Leishmania major has been associated with a polarized TH2 response and an inability to down-modulate IL-4 production. The role of IL-4 in vivo was examined directly by disrupting the IL-4 gene in BALB/c embryonic stem cells. Despite the absence of IL-4, the genetically pure BALB/c mutant mice remained susceptible to L. major infection, showed no signs of lesion healing or parasite clearance, and did not switch to a TH1 phenotype.


N. Noben-Trauth, Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA.
P. Kropf and I. Müller, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
(1) These authors contributed equally to this work.
(2) To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ingrid.m.muller@nd.edu

A discussion of onchocericiasis and visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis and the autoimmunine diseases found in those with river blindness which is caused by the nematode Onchocerca vovulvus:

Infection and Autoimmunity - Google Book Search

A very short discussion of how the secretions INF by TH1 cells in the body limits the disease (leishmaniasis) to the site of infection and eradicates the organism from the infected macrophanges. If the wrong response is generated by a TH2 cell instead of a TH1 cell the infection will instead become systemic. The other types of diseases caused by this type of incorrect response are autoimmune diseases. So the connection to autoimmune disease and the body succumbing to systemic parasitic disease is very closely related. Understanding this connection helps me to see how treating underlying undesirable immune system responses may help us to recover.

Samter's Immunologic Diseases - Google Book Search

My doctor's approach to Morgellons is to treat the background diseases I have. Besides autoimmune diseases and the inflammation they can cause it seems that underlying infections are also of some concern, such as viral, bacterial, and fungal. This is why he believes in finding and treating the infections he can find over time.

[tcmgpt13]

Here's some news which discusses new findings which may help those who have or are concerned about celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. In the future it may be possible to treat this problem so that inflammation will not occur in the intestinal tract. This article is from a celiac website. I found this discussion encouraging as there is mention that some drugs are being developed to block interleukin-15 in other autoimmune issues such as rheumatoid arthritis. So if this is an issue for you help may be coming soon. While reactions to gluten may be controlled by avoiding all foods containing gluten in the real world it is very hard to avoid (restaurants and when traveling), especially if extremely sensitive to it:

Blocking Interleukin-15 May Treat Celiac Disease Symptoms

• By Jefferson Adams
• Published 03/18/2011

New study on blocking Interleukin-15 to treat celiac disease symptoms Celiac.com 03/18/2011 - By blocking an inflammatory protein called interleukin-15 (IL-15), doctors may be able to treat and prevent symptoms of celiac disease in some people, according to a new study in the journal Nature.

The data suggest that the inflammatory response to gluten in people with celiac disease may be triggered by interleukin-15 and retinoic acid, which is a derivative of vitamin A.

The team notes that researchers previously thought that retinoic acid would lessen the inflammation in the intestine. Instead their study showed that it might actually worsen inflammation.

According to Bana Jabri, MD, PhD, a member of the Celiac Disease Center and Comprehensive cancer Center at the University of Chicago, the team results showed that "elevated levels of IL-15 in the gut could initiate all the early stages of celiac disease in those who were genetically susceptible, and that blocking IL-15 could prevent the disease in our mouse model. It also demonstrated that in the treatment of inflammatory intestinal diseases, vitamin A and its retinoic acid metabolites are likely to do more harm than good.”

The researchers found that by blocking IL-15 in mice that were genetically engineered to have celiac disease, they were able to reverse the symptoms, and the mice were able to eat gluten without suffering the symptoms of celiac disease.

One reason this is good news, is that a number of medicines designed to block IL-15 are already being developed for other inflammation related diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Source:

• Nature. 2011 Mar 10;471(7337):220-4

Blocking Interleukin-15 May Treat Celiac Disease Symptoms

[fritolay66]

Some of us seem to be testing positive for Celiac while others of us are not. Here's a new consideration based on my recent experiences with both Celiac and Methylation. Folic acid vs. Gluten.

I have been following methylation recommendations for six months now. Pertinent to the Celiac consideration, I had been successful in the past with using the elimination diet and found wheat and grains to precede and correlate with an increase in my symptoms and skin manifestations.

Pertinent to Methylation, I was experiencing recently what is termed a hard folate deficiency despite my high dosages of methylfolate. Freddd describes a hard folate deficiency resulting from glutithione supplementation or supplementation by the gluthtione precursors, glutamine, glutamate, and NAC. I have taken NAC in the past, but not in approx. the last year. I have never taken any of the others including glutithione.

I was experiencing a hard folate deficiency and all of its relevent symptoms, including the skin manifestations without glutithione or its precursors. Which eventually lead us to the folic acid content in the Country Life adenosyl B. So many of us doing methylation seem to have big issues centering around folic acid.

Freddd estimates a 50% of the population cannot process folic acid appropriately, I can only source document up to 30%. The inability to process the folic acid is a result of either a deficiency in the vitamins and precursors supplying either directly or the enzymes necessary in the methylation cycle, or a methylation cycle block related to SNP's. Genetic causes.

Here's how it relates to Gluten.

Since the mid 90's, the US has been fortifying flour and grain based foods along with several other countries to prevent neural tube defects and also to supplement the "deemed deficient" elderly. What has happened is the result has been an unexpected high increase in the actual amount that is actually being absorbed by the main population outside of these two populations.

If 30% of the population either has a methylation cycle block resulting from vitamin deficiency or from genetic polymorphisms in the mechanisms of the methylation cycle, and they are now supplementing (fortifying) our grain food supply with folic acid, then 30% are going to get into trouble with eating grain foods and foods containing flour. Imagine if Freddd's estimate is on the more correct scale.

Interestingly enough, with my methylation efforts, my reactions to grain products and flour, although still occuring on some scale, diminished. With the amount of methylfolate I was needing, we believe I reached some sort of an equilibrium and thus the improvement although lack of resolution. Also my methylation successes stalled. I believe it due to the equilibrium reached.

The combined results of several of us has allowed us to reach a ratio of methylfolate required to folic acid, that being a 4:1 ratio of methylfolate to folic acid to keep us from going into what he terms as a hard folate deficiency.

So perhaps, for those whom test negative in the Celiac arena, perhaps the next avenue to explore would be a SNP in the methylation cycle in which one cannot process folic acid. And of which the symptoms and rxns are quite similar to Celiac.

Again, this could be a very viable consideration for some. It definately has had a huge impact on me.

Frito

[sammy]

These are all good posts but with my feeble mind and translation of medical terms and lab I need things put in feeble laymans terms for me too understand. sammy

[tcmgpt13]

I hope this shortened guide to methylation will help those of us who are neither scientists nor work in the medical field. The process of methylation needs to be in balance--both hypomethylation (too little) and hypermethylation (too much) have been implicated in disease processes such as cancer, viral infections, fungal infections and parasitic infections. Here's an easier to understand discussion from another website (happens to be a commercial site but I am not promoting their products simply copying their useful information):

What Is Methylation?

Methylation is a process necessary for many biological functions. It is invlolved in maintaining DNA integrity, processing fats, improving neurological function, detoxidfying the liver and suppressing many viruses. This process can be accomplished rather simply by utlizing a combination of sufficient levels of important methylation nutrients. These nutrients act as dietary sources of methy groups. Methyl groups, along with the appropriate enzymes, are best known for their role in converting homocysteine, a toxic acid, into methionine, an amino acid that is beneficial to the human system.

What Is The Process of Methylation

Methylation is the process of putting a methyl group (one carbon atom and three hydrogen atoms), on proteins, enzymes, chemicals, DNA, or amino acids like homocysteine. Methylation is a process necessary for many biological functions.

Methylation is involved in maintaining DNA integrity, processing fats, improving neurological function, detoxifying the liver, and is connected to nearly every biochemical process in the body. Several scientific peer-reviewed articles have demonstrated that this methylation process degrades with age which is associated with a large variety of age-related diseases.

Usually, this methylation process occurs through a chemical called s-adenosylmethionine (SAM). SAM, increased by the dietary methyl donors, requires proper mineral balance. As a result, many researchers suggest additional minerals to help the body maintain proper methylation.

Risotriene Collastin Trace Minerals Herbal Parasite Eliminators Methylation Vitamins Minerals vitamins minerals supplements Life Solubles Kona Gold Paragon Replenz Methylate Everlasting Support vitmains minerals supplements

Continued in next post which discusses disorders related to homocycteine (high levels are toxic to the body) and poor methylation.